This invention relates generally to breakwaters, and more particularly to a floating breakwater useful for preservation and reconstruction of beaches.
Considerable inventive effort has been expended in developing breakwater systems to protect our shorelines. This effort is obviously as a result of the significant deterioration that our country, particularly, is experiencing during periods of storms and high tides. Some of our prominent shorelines have retreated drastically over time.
The following U.S. Patents are directed to floatable or floating devices which are located, or are deployable, at some distance from a beach or protected structure and facing the oncoming waves so as to diminish their strength:
______________________________________ 3,222,870 H. F. Miller, et al. 3,222,871 H. F. Miller, et al. 3,628,334 Coleman 3,673,805 Szyfter 3,691,774 Hard 3,846,990 Bowley 3,863,455 Fuller 3,864,920 Tazaki, et al. 3,877,233 Olsen 3,884,042 Anderson, et al. 3,952,521 Potter 3,953,977 Kikui, et al. 3,991,576 Tazaki, et al. 4,023,370 Watson 4,048,802 Bowley 4,098,086 Detsy, et al. 4,136,994 Fuller 4,234,266 Angioletti 4,712,944 Rose 4,715,744 Richey 4,776,724 Isozaki 4,824,286 Waas ______________________________________
A number of other more dissimilar patented devices are known to applicant which are also directed to diminishing the impact of high wave action on beaches and land-based structures as follows:
______________________________________ 3,200,598 J. C. Krepak 3,237,414 L. G. Straub, et al. 3,276,210 R. L. Stitt 3,357,192 G. Hibarger 3,426,537 H. H. Chenoweth, et al. 3,465,528 E. M. Usab 3,487,645 E. G. Frankel 3,533,240 E. J. Lesh 3,534,558 G. LeBouteiller 3,595,026 Scholi 3,791,150 Tachii 3,800,543 Moore 3,848,419 Bowley 3,971,221 Greenleaf 4,006,598 Hulsemann 4,174,185 Toki 4,264,233 McCambridge 4,364,691 Wirt 4,406,564 Hanson 4,407,607 McCambridge 4,693,631 McKay 4,768,896 Moore 4,850,742 Bouchet, et al. ______________________________________
The above U.S. Patents, however, are somewhat removed from the structure and function of that of the present invention.
To further typify the degree to which others have addressed the issue of diminishing the damaging effects of storm waves, the following U.S. patents are directed to substantially dissimilar devices from that of the present invention but are nonetheless intended to protect land-based objects and shorelines:
______________________________________ 3,085,404 A. L. Smith 4,468,151 Warlick ______________________________________
The present invention is directed to a simple and easily deployable device and system which is structured for floatation directly facing oncoming waves along a beach area. Deployment is in two stages: First, each device is towed to the area of protection in its fully collapsed orientation, and then interconnected one to another to form an entire breakwater system. Anchors are used to retain the system in position. Thereafter, the upper and lower portions may be further deployed or errected in timely fashion just prior to the peak of a storm or hurricane.